🗓️ Idiom: Schmooze (v)
💬 Meaning
- To engage in informal, friendly conversation, often with the intention of gaining favour, making connections, or advancing professionally.
- It’s typically used in networking or business situations where relationship-building is important.
🧠 Example Sentences
- He spent the cocktail hour schmoozing with potential investors.
- You don’t need to be fake, just relax and schmooze a little, it helps build rapport.
- Some people are great at schmoozing their way into better opportunities.
🏛️ Origin
“Schmooze” comes from the Yiddish word shmuesn, meaning “to chat.” It entered American English in the early 20th century and gained popularity in business and media circles to describe smooth, strategic small talk.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
At the networking event, she managed to __________ her way into a meeting with the VP.
Answer
schmooze
2. Choose the correct meaning of “schmooze”:
A) To argue aggressively with someone
B) To chat casually to build connections
C) To stay silent and observe
Answer
B) To chat casually to build connections
3. Change the sentence using: Schmooze
“He talked casually with the clients to build a stronger relationship.”
Answer
He schmoozed with the clients to build a stronger relationship.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
👉 Relationship and Networking Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
